iPhone 3G launch hit by system problems

Customers waiting to get their hands on the new 3G iPhone have been hit by severe delays after the O2 credit check system collapsed under the high demand for the device.

All three stores selling the handset - O2, Carphone Warehouse and the Apple Store – suffered the delays. As a result of the crash, store staff were forced to process orders manually.

Few customers were seen leaving the stores with 3G iPhones in their hands. A group of press photographers outside the Apple store, who had been waiting to take the prized picture of the first customer leaving the store with the device, said at 9:15am that they were stilling waiting without success.

An Apple store worker admitted: ‘It’s been a bit of a nightmare, we’ve had all this training about how to sell contracts but the way things have gone we’ve had to do it all manually anyway.’

Meanwhile a central London Carphone salesman told Mobile at 9:30am that he had still not processed a single order and that only five transactions had gone through in total.

In terms of consumer interest, the iPhone 3G appeared to live up to the hype as long queues were visible outside relevant stores around central London as the 8:02am opening time approached.

An O2 spokesperson said: 'We've been experiencing a bit of slow down, and have had to Plan B, which means processing orders manually. The transaction time is around 20 minutes which is business as usual.'